Arizona, federal officials target smugglers on Interstate 8

by Lindsey Collom - Jan. 29, 2011 12:00 AMThe Arizona Republic

Federal lands and state transportation officials are working together to deter drug and human smugglers from using Interstate 8 between Casa Grande and Gila Bend by eliminating popular hiding spots for their cargo.

Project Daylight, a collaboration of the Bureau of Land Management and Arizona Department of Transportation, not only enhances public safety but also reduces the risk of vehicles inadvertently triggering a wildfire, officials said.

By trimming and clearing dense vegetation along the interstate, officials aim to increase visibility for law enforcement of motorists while making it harder for smugglers to drop contraband.

This week, BLM and ADOT staff began the first phase of the project by removing paloverde trees and thick bushes framing about 200 feet of interstate near Milepost 150 in western Pinal County.

ADOT provided heavy equipment and operators, and a crew of six BLM wildland firefighters trimmed areas by hand and removed debris, taking care to leave cactuses and other natural vegetation untouched.

The first phase is considered a trial run. If successful, BLM spokeswoman Deborah Stevens said, officials will consider other areas of I-8 for cleanup.

Crews had been working in an area where I-8 cuts through the Sonoran Desert National Monument, the same area Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu called rife with smuggling activity. The area is also a focus of BLM's Operation ROAM (Reclaim Our Arizona Monuments). Included is the Ironwood Forest National Monument south of Eloy.

Project Daylight and Operation ROAM are outgrowths of the bureau's border strategy to protect users of public lands; preserve the lands from the effects of smuggling, such as off-road travel, littering and vandalism; and to increase cooperation among law enforcement and other agencies.

Earlier this month, BLM launched a website that tracks its efforts to reduce illegal activity on land it manages. The bureau reported intercepting more than 3,300 pounds of marijuana and recovering two stolen vehicles in the Sonoran monument. From September to Jan. 22, crews there collected more than 23,000 pounds of trash.

Stevens said Project Daylight and other BLM strategies are meant to deter smugglers and prevent them from cutting through federal lands.

Illegal activity in the monument "doesn't make it safe and doesn't preserve the values the monument was dedicated for," Stevens said.

"When they have the ability to access the right of way, they come through the monument even more," Stevens said. "If you don't give them the access to the interstate, they're more apt to move or not go there as much as they do."